Choosing outdoor furniture a lot like choosing indoor furniture, with some special considerations to have in mind. There are several things to consider before purchasing outdoor furniture. These things include the size of your outdoor space, the needs for furniture you have, the weather conditions, ways to protect your furniture from wear and tear, quality, maintenance and of course, your budget. All the factors mentioned are playing an important role in the decision-making process. If you’re not sure where to start and what to do, read about some useful tips for choosing the best patio furniture for your outdoor space.
1. Consider your furniture needs
We’ll start with your furniture needs. Based on your needs, you’ll choose furniture pieces accordingly. Start by thinking about the way you would like your outdoor space to function. You can use your outdoor space for many different activities such as hosting brunches, dinner parties, your child’s birthdays, reading, relaxing, cooking and so on. When you decide on the things you plan to do there, you would be able to choose the suitable furniture. For example, for creating a reading nook, you need some comfy seating pieces such as a nest swing. For hosting some meal parties, you should consider getting a dining table with chairs and for cooking, you should think about a grill, wood oven, fridge and handy storage cabinets.
2. Take the weather into account
Another key factor before purchasing any furniture is the weather consideration. It plays a major role in the type of furniture pieces you’ll go for as well as the materials used. Different weather conditions such as dry and too hot, cold, rainy and windy will dictate the type of furniture that’s most convenient for the weather in question. It’s hard on furniture even to just be exposed to outside conditions, without any harsh ones. For example, hot and dry climates tend to cause materials such as wood to crack and splinter, whereas humid weather causes rotting. Furniture made of aluminum is not heavy enough, so a strong wind can lift it and blow it away. On the other hand, iron is heavy enough but doesn’t stand the salty air. And harsh sun rays can make the furniture look dull and colourless, it also degrades plastic and bleaches textile materials.
3. Protect your furniture to ensure longevity
When you do choose furniture for your outdoor space, you should protect it to ensure longevity, because, let’s face it, outdoor furniture is not cheap and you’re not going to change it every year. So, what you can do is get some covers to protect them during the season you’re using them in. Moreover, it would be advisable to get a pergola roof if you live in a climate with unbearable sun and heat to protect both you and your furniture from harmful UV rays. And lastly, you should definitely have storage area to put the furniture away in the season when it’s not used.
4. Opt for easy-care furniture
In order to have well-maintained and nice-looking furniture, you should take care of it. Due to our work and family obligations, we don’t have much free time on our hands to do it every day, for instance. This would mean that you should opt for furniture that’s easy to take care of. In that way, you’ll always have a spotless outdoor space, comfort and style.
5. Go for quality
Not all materials and designs represent quality, so you should have that in mind when choosing proper outdoor furniture. If you want to ensure that your furniture lasts long, you should go for the quality. For example, plastic furniture pieces are pretty affordable and look nice, but they are not going to withstand the weather conditions for long. They’ll lose colour and become brittle over a short period of time. The same is true for wicker pieces. Do thorough research and shop with care.
6. Have comfort in mind
When buying sofas, armchairs and chairs you should have comfort in mind as you’re going to use furniture to relax and unwind on. So, our advice is to always try out the pieces you like to check whether they suit you and your needs. Plush cushions and seats with backs are definitely welcoming and cozy. Another thing to have in mind is the material used for cushions and upholstery. You should make sure it’s weather-resistant to prevent discoloration and mildew.
7. Don’t go beyond the limits of your budget
And lastly, you should always work in the framework of your budget, never beyond. Decide how much money you can invest in your outdoor furniture and make your choices accordingly.
The availability of things online, all the reviews and experiences from people around the world as well as outdoor space design ideas on Pinterest or these apps and make designing experience so much easier and more fun.
